Electrical contact device



Jan. 15 1924. 1,480,968

S. S. STOLP ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE File'd Dec. 26. 1922 Patented Jan. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES he PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. STOLIP, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORTORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE.

Application filed December 26, 1922. Serial No. 608,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. Sronr, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Electrical Contact Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to contact devices for use in connection with trolley wires or similar conductors for operating block signals, track switches, etc.

The object of my invention is to produce a device in which the contact members have their ends so shaped that the moving contact, which is usually the current collector, will pass from the trolley wire on to the contact device and out of engagement with the tro-l ley wire without any abruptchange which will tend to cause the contactor to jump or make and break contact with the contacts. The reverse is true when the current collector is leaving the contact device and coming into engagement with the trolley wire.

Another object of invention is to so construct the device that the trolley wire may be supported in combination with the device and maintain its straight or horizontal position.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts of which the same is composed as herein described and shown in the'drawin s.

n the drawing accompanying the specification:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation showing my device in combination with a trolley conductor.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1. t

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sections taken on the lines 55, 66, 7 -7 and 88 of Fig. 4 and show the relation of the contact members, trolley conductor and moving collector or contactor at the various sections shown.

In my preferred construction I employ two contact members 1 spaced apart and insulated from each other. These contact members are formed up of metal or cast to shape and are duplicates, and are provided at each end with a fiat horizontal portion 2 to which are secured the insulating memher 3. The parts 2 and 3 are secured together by means of the cap screws 4. The central portion 0a of each member 1 is composed of two flanges a and 6 having their surfaces angular-1y disposed with respect to a horizontal or vertical line as shown in Fig. 8. The extreme end portions of the members 1 are also composed of the two flanges a and b, but in this case the flanges are disposed either parallel or at right angles to the vertical as. shown in Fig. 5 The extreme ends y of the members 1 are spaced a relatively greater distance apart than the central portion 03. The intermediate portion 2 is also composed of the flanges a and Z),

but there is a somewhat gradual change in the angular relation of the flanges and their distance apart in the intermediate portion 2 from that shown in Fig. 5 untilthey assume the relation hown in Fig. 8. It will also be noted that the flanges change their relation as to their elevation between the end and central portions, that is, the flanges on the end ortions are considerably higher than the anges on the central portion.

Secured to and supported by the insulating member 3 is an ear or clamp 5 to which a trolley wire 6 is secured. The ear or clamp 5 is secured to the insulating member by means ofthe cap screw 7. Secured to each member 1 at its central portion is an upstanding flange 8 and secured thereto and between the flanges 8 is a strain insulator 9 which braces the central portions of the members 1 and maintains them in a fixed position and at the same time maintains them insulated from each other at this point. The insulator 9 may be of any of the well known construction in use on the market and to the end of each insulator is secured an eye 10 to which a support or steadying span wire may be secured.

In order to make electrical connection to each of the members 1 and also to the trolley wire a member a and the member 7 at one end of the device is provided with a recess 11 and 12 respectively, in which a conducting wire may be secured in any well known manner.

With the preferred construction described above it is very easy to install my, device at any point upon the trolley wire as it does not require bending or cutting the trolley wire, but merely a matter of securing the ears or clamps 5 to the trolley wire and running span wires from the eye to supports in order to steady the device. The current collector 13 as it enters the limits of the device is caused to gradually come in contact with the flanges a of the members 1, and as the angle and spacing of the flanges a and the downward slope toward the central portion 2 are gradual, the trolley wheel is caused to engage the members 1 without any interterence with the smooth passage of the current collector 13, and the moving collector is gradually moved out of engagement with the trolley wire and into full engagement only with the flanges a. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the flanges a are provided with faces. the planes of which are parallel, and it will be noted in Figs. 6. 7 and 8 that the apex 0. which is the intersection of the planes of the flanges a, varies in its distance from the trolley conductor 6 until in Fig. 8 is quite close. This change in the location of the apex c with respect to the trolley 6 shows the gradual turning or warping of the surface of the flange a from a vertical position shown in Fig. 5 to the oblique position shown in Fig. 8 and the distance (Z between the apex of the flanges a and b of the adjacent members 1 gradually decreases and likewise the apex of the flanges a and 6 move downward, as it were, with respect to the conductor 6. The relative relation of the moving current collector 13 with respect to the trolley conductor and thecontact members 1 is clearly set forth in the sectional views, Figs. 5. 6, 7 and 8.

There will be many modifications in my invention which will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and which will still fall within the scope of my invention and. therefore, I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. A- contact device comprising a pair of adjacently disposed contact members. insulating means secured to the ends of the contact members to hold the ends of the contact members in a fixed spaced relation to each other means intermediate the ends or" the contact members to hold the contact members in spaced and insulated relation to each other. and means to receive means to steady the device and assist in supporting the same.

2. A contact device comprising a pair of adjacently disposed contact members, insulating means secured to the end portions of the contact members to hold the contact members in a. fixed, spaced and insulated relation, the end portions of the contact members being spaced farther apart than the intermediate portions and each provided with a vertical flange which as it approaches the intermediate portion of the contact member changes from a vertical to an obliquely disposed flange to receive a conductor and means secured to the insulating means to receive and hold a trolley conductor in fixed and insulated relation to the contact members.

3. A contact device comprising a pair of ad'jacently disposed contact members insulated and spaced apart, the end portions of the contact members being spaced farther apart thanthe intermediate portions and each being provided with a vertical flange which as it approaches the intermediate portion of the contact member changes from a vertical to an obliquely disposed flange to receive a moving contactor.

4. A contact device comprising a pair of adjacently disposed contact members sulated and spaced apart, each contact member comprising three portions differing from each other, namely; a central portion having an obliquely disposed flange to'receive a moving contactor, an end portion at each end spaced farther apart than the central portion and having a-vertically disposed flange and an intermediate portion connecting each end portion with the central portion and in which the flange gradually changes from the vertical to the oblique position.

5. A contact device comprising a conductor, a pair of contact members spaced and insulated from each other and from the conductor, means to insulate the above parts from each other and maintain them in a relative position, the contact members each havmgan obliquely disposed central flange to receive a moving contactor out of engagement with the conductor and having the flanges gradually change from an oblique to a vertical position and simultaneously extend upwardly and'outwardly relative to the conductor.

6'. A contact device com-prising a conductor and a pair of con-tactmembers spaced and insulated from each other, and from the conductor and each provided with; a flange to engage a moving cont-actor, the plane of the flanges being substantially parallel at the ends-of the members andgraduallychanging as they approach the center of the device until their planes meet at a point adjacent to but above the axis of the conductor.

7. A contact device comprising a conductor and a pair ofcontact members spaced and insulated from each other'and from the conductor,- each member having a flange for engagement with} a moving cont-actor along a portion of its length, the plane of the adjacent flanges at any one end of the member meeting at infinity andthe angle of the flanges gradually changing until the plane of the flanges meet adjacent to the conductor to gradually move the contactor, out of engagement with the conductor and into engagement with the contact members only.

8. A contact bar comprising an elongated member provided with a pair of flanges having their faces at right angles to each other and vertically and horizontally disposed at one end and the central portion having the flanges obliqely disposed and the flanges intermediate the end and center graduallty changing from the vertical or horizontal position to the oblique position.

9. A contact device comprising a conductor and a pair of contact members, one on each side of the conductor which is disposed in a common horizontal plane, the cont-act members being held in a spaced relation to each other and provided with a flange to engage a moving cont-act and each flange provided with a central portion in which the plane of the flange forms an acute angle with the vertical and the angle formed by the plane gradually becomes more acute with respect to thevertical as the flange approaches the end of the contact member.

10. A contact device comprising a pair of adjacent contact members spaced apart and each member provided with a flange, each flange parallelly disposed to the other for a portion of its length and the plane of each of said flanges being obliquely disposed to the vertical for the balance of the length of the member, each plane changing its angle as it recedes from the parallel position and forming a more acute angle with the vertical.

11. A. contact device comprising a pair of contact members held in a spaced relation to each other and provided with a flange to engage a moving contact and each provided with a central portion in which the plane of the flange forms an angle with the vertical and the angle formed by the plane gradually becomes more acute with respect to the vertical as the flange approaches the end of the contact member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL S. STOLP, 

